Olympic speed skater Shani Davis, the first African American athlete to win an individual gold medal at the Winter Olympics, goes for history during the Sochi games as he tries to become the most medalled U.S. speed skater and the first male to win the same event in three straight Olympics in almost a century.

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Speed skater Shani Davis will go down in history for his succession of Winter Olympic firsts, most notably as the first African American athlete to win an individual gold at the Winter Games. But in his own sport, he is celebrated for his extraordinary record of sustained excellence.